Berkeley Food Institute

We’re kicking off 2025 in a big way by featuring the top food & ag experts in our webinar series. On 1/16 we’ll zoom out to explore market consolidation in the ag sector with USDA Senior Advisor, Andy Green. Then on 1/21 we’ll zoom in & learn about the public health impact of California’s soda tax from UC Berkeley professors Kristine Madsen & Marice Ashe. Register for these live events today. https://ow.ly/JGsM50UBymQ

Donate today before 2024 ends – empower BFI’s interdisciplinary approach as we build a more sustainable & equitable food future. https://bit.ly/GivetoBFI

Meet Steven Low, BFI's new Communications Program Manager. Steven comes to BFI after years working in the environmental justice and climate nonprofit sectors, leading numerous high-impact campaigns and communications programs. He also taught communications theory at San Francisco State University where his curriculum focused on small group communication, rhetoric and public speaking. “I am excited to join the BFI team at this time of critical engagement on sustainable, resilient and equitable food and farm systems, “ says Steven. “BFI connects research and education with community engagement and policy. This interdisciplinary approach provides the foundation for science-based transformations of our food systems.” Read more about our new Communications Program Manager on our BFI Blog here: https://lnkd.in/g67hRiJE.

Take a break and unwind with us this Thursday at our Land as Wellness event! Join us for a relaxing day on the farm with free services like massage, acupuncture, and arts & crafts. We welcome students and anyone needing a mental break to come and relax, connect, and nourish your mind, body, and soul. When: This Thursday Where: On the farm (Oxford Tract, 1751 Walnut Street) Tag a friend and make it a self-care day! See you there!

As we take stock of the outcomes from the election, California offers a number of bright spots in food and farm systems policy innovation. Several food and farm system bills passed and were signed into law by Governor Newsom. Others did not pass but may return in the next legislative cycle. Read a recap of the latest in California food policy from our Policy Director, Neha Sanghera. Read here: https://lnkd.in/gmbP869q.

World Soils Day is tomorrow! Celebrate with us from 12 - 1 pm at the last Lunch & Learn webinar of the semester highlighting soil as a vital climate solution in agriculture. We will be joined by UC Berkeley professors Dr. Whendee Silver and Dr. Timothy Bowles. Dr. Silver will discuss recent findings on the potential of soil management practices, including compost, reduced tillage, and cover crops to contribute to California’s goal to be net carbon neutral by 2045. Dr. Bowles will share strategies that farms can implement to increase beneficial ecosystem services and climate resilience, including highlighting the specific importance of soil biodiversity, and how state policies like the California Healthy Soils Program might best support these strategies. Register here: https://lnkd.in/g4Nbs27d

At the end of October, BFI brought a group of nine students to the Davis campus to participate in the California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN) Summit. The biennial CalCAN conference brings together experts on climate advocacy, policy, and innovation to discuss issues and opportunities in the field of sustainable agriculture, providing a unique chance for students to learn about current climate solutions in agriculture and to network with people in their field of interest. Read a summary from one of the student attendees here: https://lnkd.in/guPm5Ba7.

BFI has partnered with the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues (ISSI) at UC Berkeley to publish a new research report on the ecosystem of support for new and aspiring farmers in California, entitled Building an Equitable Future with Generational Renewal in California Agriculture. Based on two years of policy and field research, the report presents findings on rural depopulation, motivations of young and beginning farmers, key barriers to entry and success, and general and individualized networks of support that enable some new farmers to succeed. Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/gX-Mxswa.

BFI's 2024 Career Panel is next Tuesday, November 12th! Read short bios of our food systems panelists and register for the panel here: https://lnkd.in/gWpSQgCY

In its primary year, the Agroecology Field Quarter came about as a result of contributions from the agroecology centers and food institutes across three UC Campuses — Santa Cruz (Center for Agroecology), Davis (Ag Sustainability Institute), and Berkeley (Berkeley Food Institute), in the hope of expanding opportunities for students in the field and building inter-school connections. Over the course of 7 weeks, thirteen agroecology students toured the California agricultural sector, learning the ideologies and practices of ethical food pathways. Read more about the Agroecology Field Quarter here: https://lnkd.in/gBA45dUR